Knife — A sturdy knife with a lanyard or string to attach
to your person. It's uncanny how knives get lost.

Brush — A soft brush like a small paint brush to clean
dirt and insects off of your finds.

Trowel — A small trowel or scoop is
useful when retrieving complete specimens.

Magnifying glass — Useful for examining gills and other
features of your finds.

Whistle — Useful for keeping in touch with other members
of the foray group.

Compass — Carry one and know how to use it. It is very
easy to get lost when you are concentrating on finding mushrooms
and not watching your surroundings.

Mushroom Key — Take along a reliable mushroom key (reference) and
learn how to use it. One popular reference with identification
key is David Arora's Mushrooms Demystified (Ten Speed Press:
Berkeley. 1979)

Where to Look for 'Shrooms

If you're not sure where to look for mushrooms in
Colorado and there isn't a CMS foray scheduled check out
the CMS publication Stalking the Wild
Mushroom for a selection of
locations around the state.

Forays are on weekends and start at 9:00 AM and run to around 2:00 PM.Denver meeting place leaves from SE parking lot (Stegosaurus) at Exit 259 (I–70/Morrison).Boulder meeting place leaves from Safeway parking lot northeast side at Arapahoe and 28th.

Forays are field trips to different locations in the mountains
to look for wild mushrooms.

When — Most forays are on weekends and
most start at 9:00 AM and run to around 2:00 PM.

Where — CMS has a new meeting place for forays. The good
news is that it is in the same area as the old meeting place
but usually is not so crowded.

Coming
from Denver on I-70, take Exit 259. At the end of the off ramp
turn left (south, towards Red Rocks and Morrison) and pass
under I–70. You will see the SE parking lot
immediately on your left. We will always try to gather towards
the rear of the parking lot.

To Join Our Forays — CMS conducts several
day-trip forays each season for its members. However,
guests of CMS members and others interested in learning about
mushrooms and our myco-club may participate in a foray by paying
a $10
fee — paid
to the foray leader in cash (bring exact change0 or check (payable to "CMS").
Non-members may also join CMS and go on a foray by giving the
foray leader a check made out to "CMS" for $25.00 per household.

Car-pooling Preferred — Please note
that car-pooling from the meeting area to the foray location
is strongly encouraged. It is often difficult to find a place
where several cars can pull off the road together to foray. Carpooling
is a good chance to meet and talk with other CMS members on a
one-to-one basis. Try it, you'll like it!

Come prepared — Remember that you may
be going for most of the day into the mountains. We usually get back by 2:00. Be prepared!
Bring your lunch and drinking water. Bring clothing appropriate
to the changing weather conditions in the mountains (i.e., rain
gear, sweater, jacket, etc.). Wear sturdy footwear. See the left
sidebar regarding equipment to bring for mushroom hunting.

Check in advance — It is always a good
idea to check with the foray leader a few days prior to the
foray for last minute changes.

Join a foray. You'll like it! Forays are fun. Forays are
informative. Forays are educational. Forays are social. You'll
learn about mushrooms on a foray.

CMS Sign up and Release
Form — Foray leaders: Make one or two copies prior
to your foray. Everyone participating in the foray MUST read
and sign the release form. After the foray turn in the form to
the CMS Secretary at the next monthly
meeting.

An effort to gather an abundance of any species, beyond one's personal
needs.

It should be:

Considered a visit to an environment which is expected to produce
mushrooms in the proper season, which provides an opportunity
to observe them in their natural habitat, and to learn to identify
them by actual "hands-on" methods, with help form other
members of the group, and references to appropriate keys and
books.

It should also be:

An enjoyable social event and a time of good fellowship with people
who share a common interest in a specific feature of the outdoors.

(Thanks to Ralph Hayford, Olympia,
Wash., for passing this on. Mushroom the Journal)

Advice for beginning wild mushroom
hunters

Many beginning wild mushroom hunters
take the straight-line approach of learning to identify a particular
mushroom they want to find and eat. They read one field guide and
then go out and pick mushrooms and try to make them fit the description
in the field guide. This approach can be dangerous! Before you pick
that mushroom to eat, you need to learn all of its identifying characteristics,
including its look alike. The old saying, "A little knowledge
is dangerous" applies to mushroom identification. If you want
to practice your fungal hunter/gatherer skills safely, you need to
spend the time to really make sure you really know the mushrooms
you want!

Here are some simple rules you should follow to safely eat wild
mushrooms:

Know all the mushroom's identifying characteristics.

Be aware
of any look alike species that might be confused with the kind
you want to eat.

Know what color the mushroom's spore print is
supposed to be and make sure your mushrooms have that spore
color.

Get at least one positive ID of the mushrooms from an experienced
mushroom hunter.

Eat only a small amount at first. You could be
allergic to the species. There are people who are allergic
to Boletus edulis and Morchella angusticeps, and these species
are considered excellent edibles.

If in doubt, throw it out! If
you aren't completely sure of your identification, don't eat
it! The same comment applies to mushrooms that are old, smelly
or doubtful looking. You wouldn't eat a rotten tomato, and
you shouldn't eat mushrooms that don't look or smell quite right!